Marsha Gard and Rex Byington have their hands full with four of the 10 small dogs transported up from Albuquerque for adoption at the Cortez Animal Shelter.

The lovable brood of new pooches that arrived at the Cortez Animal Shelter on Wednesday, Jan. 9, have already caused a ruckus in Cortez.

The 10 adorable small-breed dogs and five fun-loving cats, were transferred from the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Shelter. Since arriving, three of the dogs and two of the cats have been adopted out.

Jennifer Crouse, Cortez Animal Shelter manager, said they were contacted by the Albuquerque shelter and asked if they needed any particular type of animal. Between their eastside and westside locations, the Albuquerque shelter has a total of 800 animals.

"Animals are transferred between shelters all over the country, all the time, so that they are given as much chance (to be adopted) as possible," Crouse explained. "We didn't even put a dent in their number but we are glad to help."

The small-breed dogs were offered to the shelter because Albuquerque has exhausted their need for small dogs. Crouse said that the area had a popular demand for small dogs at one point, but that the market has since saturated.

Lucky for them, these types of dogs are rare in the Cortez shelter.

"A lot of people here want smaller dogs and we don't get many," Crouse said. "We mostly have larger dogs."

For this reason, Crouse thinks the dogs will do well here. They have already adjusted to their new shelter home. There was plenty of room for them to come aboard. Crouse said they are your typical small dog, with boundless energy and outgoing personalities. The only one who differs is Timi, a white Chihuahua who is a little more shy and laid-back.

Crouse said this is only the second transfer of animals they have received. The shelter, however, transports dogs out at least twice a month in the summer. If the dogs do well here, they may continue to work with the Albuquerque shelter in future transfers. For now, the shelter crew is working on finding homes for their newfound friends.

If they are unable to adopt them out, Crouse said they will not be euthanized, but transferred to another shelter in the state. Gunnison, Littleton, Longmont, Bailey and Denver are all places that Crouse has sent animals to in the past.

A few of the dogs that remain from the bunch are a 3-year-old neutered Chihuahua named Alonzo, a Chihuahua-Daschund mix named Nico, a long-haired, tan neutered Chihuahua named Pancho, a red adult miniature Pinscher named Hindi and, of course, Timmy, who was just adopted. All the cats are adult in age.

For more information on the new dogs and cats in the shelter, call 565-4910 or drop by the shelter at 2791 E. Main to visit with any of the animals.

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